A Call From The Wild
by Caribou Kid
Summary: Participating in an arctic survival training course, Captain Crane and his men make a startling discovery.
1. Chapter 1

Note: Here you go Janet. Thanks for the challenge and I will get even. ;o)

 **A Call from the Wild**

By: Caribou Kid

"Who's great idea was this, anyway? Whoever it was should be shot!" groused Chip Morton, Executive Officer on the NIMR submarine Seaview, as he trudged through several feet of fresh snow in subzero temperatures, breaking trail for the 5 men behind him. He and the other men from NIMR were taking part, in a now mandatory, arctic survival course. The field portion of the course was taking place outside Alaska's Denali National Park in early January so they could really test what they had learned. They had been dropped off by helicopter about 30 miles from the nearest road and would work their way back to catch a ride home.

"Hmm, let me think on that a minute," replied Lee Crane, captain of the Seaview and Chip's commanding officer and best friend. "As I recall it was you. I believe it went something like this; ' _You know Admiral, since we're taking on so many missions up in the Arctic and off the Antarctic coast we should probably implement an arctic survival course to ensure any crewmembers that go off the boat could survive should they get temporarily stranded_ '."

Nelson had fully agreed with Chip's recommendation and established the requirement for everyone to receive the training. Having completed numerous cold weather survival courses needed for his ONI activities, Lee was the obvious choice for leading the program and took on the role of instructor. This group of men would eventually take over the training activities once Lee felt they were comfortable with all the techniques he had shown them, and demonstrated their overall competence in the frigid conditions.

"Yeah, but I meant that for you and the others that get off the boat, not me," Chip whined. "I never get the pleasure of tromping through the frigid wastes, I'm always relegated to keeping your gray lady safe while you're away. I really should have been exempt."

"If it means that much to you Chip, I can easily remedy that situation," Lee replied, trying hard not to laugh.

The men behind him chuckled and then ducked their heads back down as a wicked gust of subzero wind blasted them. They all groaned and continued forward. Another blast skittered through the trees unseating a heavy load of snow from a large branch that landed squarely on Chip making him momentarily appear like Frosty the Snowman.

"Arrgghh! Me and my big mouth!" he said as he pushed the snow off and wormed his way out of the makeshift drift. "May I ask you why I'm in front? You're our fearless leader," he added as he shook the snow out of his hood.

"Like any great leader, I give my subordinates the opportunity to develop and demonstrate their leadership skills so in hopes one day they too can be the second person in line," Lee answered as he knocked the snow off his friend's back.

"Oh man is it getting deep out here, and I don't mean the snow," Chip responded much to the amusement of the other men in their group. Lee laughed as well and continued brushing the snow off his XO. "Is it just me, or is it really getting cold out here?"

"It's not just you. According to my thermometer, the temp has dropped 6 degrees in the last hour, and it's still dropping. Once the sun gets below the horizon it chills down quick, it's already – 30, but the forecast didn't indicate it would get this cold this week. I think we need to start setting up camp now before it gets much colder," Lee answered. They all nodded and started scanning the landscape for an appropriate place to make camp for the night.

"Skipper, Mr. Morton, how about over there?" Bobby O'Brien quickly drew the group's attention to a number of trees that had been blown over with their root balls sticking up forming a natural barrier from the wind.

"That's perfect Bobby. All right everyone, let's move like we have a purpose," Lee replied. They all turned and made their way over to the trees.

(olooo

Once they got to the site they began tamping down the snow in the area with their snowshoes so they would have a firm base on which to erect their camp. That done they all dropped their packs and began pulling out their tents and shovels.

"Given how cold it's getting; I think a quinzhee will be our best choice so we can concentrate body heat. O'Brien, Riley, start collecting spruce boughs and sticks for the shelter. Chip, Ski, Patterson, grab your shovels and start piling up snow. Also remember to keep as cool as is comfortable so you don't soak your clothes with sweat. All right, let's get moving," Lee ordered and everyone immediately jumped on their assigned tasks.

"Wouldn't it be easier to build an igloo Skipper?" Patterson asked as he unpacked his shovel.

"The snow's not right for that Pat. This stuff is way too dry and loose, and would never standup to being cut into blocks and stacked. The best course of action is to pile the snow high, let it compact then hollow out the mound," Lee explained. "Bobby, when you gather up the sticks, make sure they're at least 2 feet long, we'll need a lot of insulation to keep us warm in these temps."

"Will do Skipper," O'Brien replied. "Come on Riley let's get to it." Both men moved off and using their hatchets began hewing the lower branches of the surrounding spruce trees and cutting alder saplings into the requested lengths.

As they did that the others continued to shovel snow onto their selected shelter site creating a huge mound. After nearly two hours of shoveling Lee indicated the pile was big enough. "Okay now start looking for dead branches, bark, and moss we can use to build a fire once we get inside. We can start hollowing this out in about 2 hours. Ski see about getting a fire started so we can warm up while we wait."

Within minutes Kowalski had successfully started a fire and was quickly adding wood to get a roaring blaze. As he worked with that, Lee had Patterson melting snow filling up everyone's water bottles and brewing up some spruce needle tea to drive off the chill.

By the time the 2 hours had passed the short winter day had ended and the sky was now like black velvet littered with a nearly infinite array of sparkling tiny diamonds. As the light had dwindled so had the temperatures plummeting to nearly -40. Lee had kept a watchful eye on his charges to make sure they didn't become hypothermic as they waited for their snow mound to settle and sinter making it safe to turn it into their shelter. He at one time or another ordered each man over by the fire when he seemed to have difficulty as the cold sapped their coordination and mental acuity.

Indicating it was safe to start, Lee had the men embed the sticks in the side and top of the snow pile and Kowalski started excavating a door. They each took turns hollowing out the pile evenly so as not to cause it to collapse on them. As they ran into the sticks, they quit removing snow so that there would be a uniform thickness of the structure.

While work on the quinzhee continued, Lee moved off to a small clearing and pulled out his satellite phone to contact the admiral and let him know their location and situation. He flipped on the phone, dialed the number and hit transmit. After a minute the phone provided an error message that it was unable to lock onto a satellite and complete the connection. Lee frowned, not thrilled with this development should they run into difficulties and need immediate extraction.

Chip had watched Lee move off to make the call and became instantly concerned by the frown that crossed his friend's face. He walked over to him to find out the reason for the look. "Something wrong, Lee?" Chip inquired.

"Yeah, I can't get a signal on the satellite phone to update the admiral on our status," Lee replied, as he cycled the phone on and off again and tried to reinitiate the call.

"Battery still charged? Antenna connected?" Chip asked.

"Everything seems to be working on this end," Lee answered. Just then the sky came alive with a dazzling display of northern lights. Both men stared up at the sky in awe at the colors and activity of the aurora. The area above them was filled with red, blue, green, purple and white bands that undulated and danced across the black canvas.

"Think that could be the cause? Maybe there are solar flares or something screwing with the satellites," Chip offered.

"That's a possibility, but there was nothing like that forecast. It would seem if a flare that large, capable of impacting telecommunications were about to occur, NASA would have issued an advisory notice," Lee replied as he turned the phone off. "Come on, they should be just about done with the shelter and we can start moving in and get warm."

(olooo

As they arrived back at the shelter, Stu Riley was backing out with the last shovelful of snow. He climbed to his feet and smiled. "I think she's all done other than that one area you wanted left alone Skipper," Riley reported.

"Great; fantastic effort by all of you. I'm going to go in and make a fireplace so we can have some heat and a hot meal. While I'm doing that strip down the boughs so we can place them on the floor and on the raised sleeping area for insulation. I should have the fireplace done and a fire going in about 20 minutes," Lee said as he wormed his way into their shelter.

True to his word, Lee had dug out a small fireplace in the far wall of their snow cave and managed to get a fire started in less than 20 minutes. He gradually fed the growing blaze all the while tracking the smoke ensuring it moved up and out of the small chimney he had created. Once satisfied they wouldn't succumb to carbon monoxide poisoning he backed out of the shelter and invited his men to enter.

The fresh spruce boughs were quickly laid out as the captain had instructed then they all entered with their gear. The temperature inside the quinzhee rose quickly with the addition of body heat and the now good-sized fire crackling at the far end of the cave. They immediately pulled out their sleeping bags and unfurled them on the raised sleeping area then Lee sealed the door with his pack. As the men stretched out on their section of snow berm a collective sigh of relief was released to the amusement of all.

"God, I didn't think I'd ever be warm again," Riley replied as he pulled down the zipper of his parka as he warmed up and relaxed. Just being out of the constant wind was enough to make them all feel warmer. He was greeted by a sea of nods from the others in the quinzhee, fully agreeing with his observation.

"Until you've really experienced it, you have no idea how quickly the cold can overwhelm you, leaving you incapacitated and ultimately dead," Crane replied. "I hope you all noticed how each of you at various times was starting to lose it to the cold. That's why I kept calling you back to the fire to warm up." The men nodded as they recalled the difficulties each had with manual dexterity and mental clarity.

"Good. Let's all kick back and relax for a few minutes, drink some water, and then we can set to fixing some dinner and turning in for the night," Lee added.

"I won't argue with you there Lee," Chip replied as he grabbed his water bottle and wearily laid down on his sleeping bag.

(olooo

"Damn! Where the hell are they?" fumed Harriman Nelson, founder of the Nelson Institute for Marine Research and designer of Seaview, as he hit the button terminating the attempt to contact his captain using his satellite phone.

"Something wrong, Admiral?" Sharkey inquired as he entered the living room of the large hunting lodge Nelson had rented as base camp for the survival training.

"Yes there most definitely is," Nelson replied. "Captain Crane should have reported in nearly 4 hours ago with their location and a report on their condition. I've tried calling him but have been unable to connect to his phone."

"I'm sure they're all right sir, after all with the Skipper and Mr. Morton both there, things can't go too wrong," Sharkey offered.

Nelson stared at him one eyebrow raised in mild disbelief. "You sure about that?" Sharkey shrugged and smiled sheepishly. "Well based on reports from weather stations in their vicinity, there has been a dramatic drop in temperature which was not forecasted to occur," Nelson clarified. "If the temperature readings are correct, the area they're in is now well below -40. Even the best survivalist would be challenged at those temperatures."

"How cold did you say it was?" Will Jamieson, Chief Medical Officer for NIMR, inquired as he entered the room having just caught the tail end of the conversation.

"Minus 40 and dropping, plus winds have kicked up significantly knocking the wind chill factor to nearly -80," Nelson replied. "What's even more disconcerting is that I can't raise them on the Sat phone. I'm quite honestly concerned. If they've run into problems, there's almost no way to get to them quickly since helicopters can't fly at those temperatures and even if a we could spot them with an airplane and FLIR sensors it would still take time to get to them on the ground."

Will frowned at the news, being all too familiar with the effects of such temperatures on the human body. "So what do we do?"

"Right now, just wait. I'll alert the State Troopers as to the situation and ask them to keep an eye out for them, should they be near the highway. I'm also going to call the office and have FS-1 sent up so we have our own aircraft to carry out a search if we need it," Nelson replied as he began dialing NIMR.

"Having been with Lee in similar conditions, they couldn't be with a better guide," Jamieson remarked, as he recalled their crash landing in FS-1 up in the Beaufort Sea a few years ago. Harri nodded in agreement, very much appreciating Will's attempt to ease his sense of dread.

(olooo

After nearly an hour of recouping their strength and letting the quinzhee warm up, Lee got up and began melting snow in a small pot so they could begin making their evening meal. The other men quickly pulled out their pots and dehydrated food from their packs and followed suit. As each pot of water boiled Lee doled it out to the men and soon they were ravenously devouring their dinner.

The hot meal was a welcome relief and their energy levels surged with the additional fuel in their bellies and the extra heat from the fire. With dinner complete, Lee pulled out his GPS and flipped it on to get an exact fix on their position. He cycled the unit on a couple of times but couldn't get a lock on a satellite to save his soul. He sighed in frustration and stuffed the device back into his pack.

He then pulled out his Sat phone and attempted to contact the admiral to update him on their situation. Like before, the phone couldn't conjure up a satellite signal and repeatedly ran the message it was searching for a signal. Lee frowned and turned the device off.

"Any luck yet?" Chip asked as he noticed the frown reappear on Lee's face.

"Nope," Lee answered and shoved it back in his pack. Becoming more frustrated by the moment, he pulled out his compass in hopes of at least getting a lock on north. As he stared at the device the needle spun wildly, reversing directions numerous times as it too tried to lock onto its guiding source. "Damn, even this isn't working. There's something out there blocking or interfering with any electronic or magnetic source. Chip, check out your GPS and your compass."

While Chip rustled through his pack to pull out his GPS, Lee began bundling up to go outside and check the surrounding area. As he pulled on his gloves, Chip sat there just shaking his head as he found his devices weren't working either.

"Everyone, pull out your navigation gear and check it out. If anyone can lock onto a signal, let me know at once," Lee ordered as he crawled to the door. "I'm going out to scout around a bit and see if I can at least lock in onto magnetic north."

"Aye, sir," they all responded as they braced themselves for the shot of cold air as their skipper removed the pack blocking the door and crawled out.

Once outside, Lee was slammed by a frigid glacial blast of wind that threatened to knock him back onto their shelter. Regaining the breath that had been ruthlessly snatched away by the onslaught of the gale, he lowered his head and trudged away from the snow cave. With the wind blasting away, he estimated the wind chill to be nearing -100, at least it felt that way.

Turning his back to the wind he looked up at the night sky and was shocked at the view above. The aurora was now moving in a cyclonic fashion, spiraling around a black hole in the center looking much like a hurricane or tornado as opposed to the normal undulating bands of color. The imposing display managed to block the stars and Lee was unable to get a fix on the North Star. He looked down at his compass and it seemed to spin in time with the rotating swirl of lights above. "What the hell? Chip! Chip come on out and take a look at this," Lee called back to the shelter. As he looked above he was blindsided by a powerful gust that swept him off his feet and sent him skittering into the side of their snow cave.

Having heard Lee's voice followed by a startled yell, Chip quickly zipped up his coat, tugged on his mittens and bolted out the door. He too was pummeled by the gale force winds and found himself on hands and knees trying to make headway as it buffeted him from all angles. After several attempts he finally made enough ground to pull himself outside to find his friend plastered against the side of the quinzhee.

"Lee! Lee, are you okay?" he yelled out against the jet engine roar of the wind.

"Yeah, just need a hand in getting up," Lee hollered back.

Still on hands and knees, Chip worked his way over to Lee, wrapped his arm around his waist and reared backwards. They both rolled free of the structure and lay panting on the ground staring up at the kaleidoscopic sky. "Are you seeing this?" Chip inquired, awestruck by the display.

"Yes, that's why I called you out. I needed to make sure I wasn't imagining things."

"Nope, you're not imagining that," Chip replied and then shivered violently. "Jeez it's cold out here,"

"Come on, let's get some more wood stashed inside then hole up until this blows through," Lee ordered. Chip nodded his acknowledgement as it was nearly impossible to speak.

They both fought their way to their feet and gathered up an armful of wood from the pile collected earlier. They staggered back to the shelter and worked their way in then jammed the backpack back into place, sealing out the biting wind. The other men in the shelter shivered at the sudden blast of frigid air and were visibly startled by the harried appearance of their skipper and XO.

"What's going on out there, Skipper?" O'Brien asked, as Crane and Morton sat down on their sleeping bags, pulled off their hoods and tried to catch their breath.

"There's one hell of a wind storm, along with a magnetic storm the likes of which I've never seen," Lee replied, dropping a log on the fire. "Has anyone been able to lock onto a satellite or get a telephone signal? How about your compasses?" Everyone indicated they had encountered the same problems in making contact.

Each man then pulled out his compass to check those out, as well. The confused looks and the ' _What the f..._ ' uttered by a couple, gave Lee all the answer he needed. "I take it your compass needles are spinning like tops and your GPS is looking out towards the next galaxy for a satellite." Four heads bobbed in unanimous agreement.

"I have no idea what's causing it, but the northern lights look like a multicolored spiral, as though stirred up by the gale force winds ripping through the trees. The wind chill has to be below -100," Lee continued. "We're damn lucky we managed to get this quinzhee completed before this storm hit."

"So what now, sir?" Riley asked as he involuntarily shivered at his CO's description.

"We sit tight and wait for this to pass, or at the very least settle down closer to something normal. We have everything we need to survive for the near term. We have shelter, food, water, and heat, so there's no need to think about moving right now," Lee replied. "Let's burrow down for the night and get some rest."

Everyone nodded in agreement and climbed back into their sleeping bags. They laid there quietly watching the small fire dance and weave and listening to the howl of the wind outside their cave.

(olooo

As they slowly began to drift off, there was a sudden horrific howl that rolled over the shriek of wind as it echoed across the countryside. It started much like the high-pitched howl of a fox, then transitioned to that of an elk's bugle, finishing off with a bass roar of a bear. The six men sat bolt upright at the ungodly howl as it was followed by what sounded like someone, or something rhythmically beating the trunk of a tree with a large branch. Then only the sound of the unrelenting wind.

"What the hell was that?!" Chip asked, looking intensely at Lee.

"I have no idea," Lee answered. "Anyone else ever hear anything like that?"

O'Brien, Patterson and Riley shook their heads no. As Ski was about to respond, the entire sequence started again, sounding much closer than the first time they heard it. They scanned the roof of their cave as they followed the track of the sound.

Lee then turned his attention back to Ski having noticed he seemed to recognize the sound and looked considerably more ill at ease than the other men. "Ski, have you heard this sound before?"

Ski locked eyes with Lee and nodded slowly. He swallowed hard as he prepared to answer. "Yes sir," he replied quietly. He immediately had the rapt attention of everyone in the cave.

"Where? What is it?" Lee asked earnestly.

"You're gonna think I'm crazy, and you're gonna laugh at me when I tell ya," Ski said.

"After some of the things I've seen in the last few years, I think that highly unlikely, Ski," Lee assured him.

"Okay, here goes. It was when I was a teenager and me and my dad went hunting up in the Cascades one summer. We had set up camp and were settled down by the fire for the night when we heard something just like that," Ski started. "We heard the sound a couple of times, then the pounding on the trees, and all of a sudden there was this hideous stench that just saturated the air. We got up, grabbed our rifles and started to have a look around. We went maybe a 50 yards from our camp when we saw it."

"Saw what?" asked Chip.

Ski looked around the snow cave taking in each of the faces of the men focused on him, all leaning forward waiting for his answer. "It was huge, covered all in fur from head to foot and was walking upright. I swear on my mother's grave it was a sasquatch, you know bigfoot," Ski finally said and then braced himself for the disbelief and laughter he'd found every other time he related his story.

The men in the cave sat there somewhat stunned, not expecting that answer in the least. Lee sat up straight and looked at him. He didn't so much as smirk at Ski's report, knowing well how grounded and in control the man was. He couldn't imagine him being anything less as a younger man.

"Did it know you were there?" Lee asked. "What did it do then?"

Ski stared at his CO for a moment, unable to hide the surprise at being taken seriously by all the men around him. "Uh… I don't know if it saw us or not. It was walking away from us fast, just like in that one video that always pops up. It had a long almost loping stride, kind of like an orangutan walking upright. We beat feet out of there as fast as we could, so I have no idea if it was watching us or was coming back," Ski answered. "We didn't hear anything else all the way back to the truck. It was like the entire forest went silent waiting for that thing to leave the area."

As Ski finished relating his earlier experience with the bigfoot, another roar washed over them. This time it sounded as though it came from right outside their shelter, and as the roar progressed to the bass tones, it reverberated in their chests and seemed to shake the ground around them as bits of snow were shaken from the roof over their heads. All eyes grew wide as they scanned the ceiling of their shelter and then became completely still listening for any indication of where the sound had come from.

Chip looked about to ask a question, when Lee held his index finger to his lips quieting his friend. They could all hear what sounded like something moving through the snow and brush around their shelter. Lee motioned to his men indicating they should quietly remove their weapons from their packs as he moved silently to his and cautiously unzipped the pocket containing his .45. Removing it from his pack he flicked off the safety and carefully chambered a round. The other men quietly followed his lead and sat ready to react should anything happen.

(olooo

"Any luck yet, Harri?" Will asked as he returned from the kitchen with two cups of coffee.

"No, whatever is going on is jamming all electronic signals. I talked to the Troopers and they indicated that they closed the Parks Highway because conditions had deteriorated so much. The officer I spoke with said due to high winds visibility was zero and there was significant drifting on the road to warrant the closure. Once morning rolls around and when conditions settle, they'll be running the road behind a plow looking for anyone that got caught in the storm," Nelson replied as he accepted the cup.

"When is FS-1 due to arrive?" he asked.

"LT James should be arriving in Fairbanks within the hour; he's bringing Frank along with him in case our team had problems. Apparently everything is calm and clear there. This storm seems to be centered around a 30-mile section and our men just happen to be in the epicenter.

Jamieson and Sharkey rolled their eyes. "Of course they are," Jamie replied. "Where else would they be?" he commented rhetorically.

"Where else indeed," Harri answered as he nodded. "Anyway, once they arrive they'll let us know. I'm having them stay there until we figure out if we need them."

(olooo


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

They all sat motionless, primed to move the moment their skipper gave the signal. After about 10 minutes, there was another of the ferocious screams but this time it was obvious it was off at a distance. They sat immobile for a minute longer, eyeing each other as they strained their ears for the slightest hint that something remained outside their shelter. Hearing nothing, everyone released a relieved sigh at once, garnering a quiet chuckle from the group.

"What do you think, Lee?" Chip asked quietly.

"Well I suppose we best take a look outside and see if anyone is about," Lee replied softly. He gently pulled his pack away from the door and listened hard for even a hint of anything around. "Sounds like the wind has died down and I can't hear anything rustling about. You stay here and stand ready. I'll take a quick look."

Chip looked about to protest until Lee met his eyes belaying his objection. Chip immediately nodded to his superior officer then made eye contact with each man to make sure they were prepared if their captain ran into trouble. Each man nodded in response to his unvoiced query and double checked their weapons.

Lee slowly crawled out the door listening intently for even the slightest sound. Hearing none, he pushed forward and was soon clear of the door and rose quickly to his feet rapidly scanning the area around their shelter for any signs of animals or movement. Finding none, he flicked on his flashlight and then played it around the area. As the beam washed across the snow covered ground he drew in an audible gasp. On both sides of the shelter were large footprints made by some sort of bipedal creature.

He immediately snapped the beam up off the ground and once more scanned the surrounding forest looking for any signs of what had made the tracks. He eased his way forward to more closely examine the prints and blew out an airy whistle at their size.

The individual prints were over two feet in length and nearly a foot wide. There were five toes with the largest toe offset lower than the other four and splayed out to the side similar to a gorilla or other large primate. The imprint in the snow was deep which indicated that aside from having big feet it was most likely tall and very heavy. The length of the stride put the creature on the upwards side of 10 to 12 feet in height. As he moved to the next set of prints, he noticed that there were apparently two of the creatures. One had entered the clearing from the left and the second one from the right. They joined up in front of the entrance to their quinzhee and then departed together traveling deeper into the forest.

"Chip, you can all come on out, the coast is clear," Lee hollered back towards the snow hut. As he waited for his team to emerge, he shot a quick glance up to the sky and noticed that the northern lights, although still extremely active, had resumed their normal pattern of flowing waves, and the wind had dropped to zero making it tolerable to be out in the night air.

"What's up Lee?" Chip asked as he crawled out the door of the quinzhee quickly followed by the other men.

Lee nodded his head to the side then illuminated the tracks with his flashlight. He heard a number of gasps and a couple of _What the f…_ "It looks as though we had company. From the tracks I'd say two of whatever those are met up here then headed off into the woods." Chip and the others knelt down to more closely examine the large prints in the snow.

"That's definitely no bear," Ski offered as he played his light over the print.

"That's for sure," Patterson responded. "Even if we were up on the arctic coast, a polar bear wouldn't make a track that big."

"So what do we do now Skipper?" Riley asked.

"Well first we need to check out our Sat phones and GPS units to see if we can get a signal and a location," Lee replied as he pulled out his phone and flipped it on. The indicator showed the device searching for a signal but soon displayed the message that no satellites could be located. "Well damn, that's not good," Lee grumbled as he shut the device off. "Anyone else having any luck?"

The others quickly indicated they weren't able to lock on either. As they did that Lee pulled out his compass for a look. The needle dutifully indicated north and he sighed in some relief. "Compass is working now so apparently the magnetic interference has been resolved." He looked quickly at his watch and grimaced; it was 0045 so they had quite a while to go before the meager daylight returned.

"What do you want to do now, Lee?" Chip asked as he returned his phone and GPS to his pocket.

"Let's crawl back into our shelter and see if we can get some shuteye. We'll run 90 minute watches so everyone can get a chance to rest. Riley you take the first watch, then Kowalski, Pat, Bobby, Chip, then me, if we haven't given up trying to sleep by then," Lee responded. "Let's get the fire out here built back up and collect enough wood to make sure we make it through the night. If you hear anything suspicious report it immediately. Everyone understand?"

Everyone nodded and jumped into action either coaxing the fire back to life or moving out into the woods to collect wood to keep the fire burning bright. After 30 minutes they had enough fuel for the fire to last well into the next day and a roaring blaze to keep the watch stander warm and hopefully the bogies at bay.

"All right Riley, if anything seems the least bit odd don't hesitate to call out," Lee directed as he patted him on the shoulder.

"Sure thing, Skipper. Rest easy, I'll make sure nothing sneaks up on us," Stu replied as he moved nearer the fire to drive off the chill.

Lee nodded and smiled. "Okay, everyone else back inside and let's get some rest."

(olooo

Once back inside they all quickly climbed back into their bags as Lee added additional fuel to the fire in the quinzhee. When that was done, he eased his way back into his bag and stretched out on his bed.

"What do you think they are Lee?" Chip asked.

Lee smiled and shook his head. "Well to risk stating the obvious they're something with big feet. I seriously doubt it's anyone trying to pull an elaborate hoax. It's too damn cold out there and we're too far in the woods for anyone to be here with us. I think we've probably run into something that isn't supposed to exist."

"You really think it's a sasquatch, Skipper," Kowalski inquired quietly.

"Can you come up with a better answer? Although given our luck, it's some sort of alien bent on taking over the planet," Lee answered seriously, then smiled.

"So what are we going to do next? Are we just going to hang out here until the weather clears and we can get a signal?" Chip inquired.

Lee smiled devilishly. Like Nelson he had an insatiable curiosity and not knowing drove him up the wall. Also, he would catch all kinds of hell if he didn't do a little investigating if conditions safely allowed for it. Unseen by the others Chip noticed the glint in Lee's eyes and rolled his own.

"Well if things clear up enough, I think it would be worth our while to follow those tracks a ways and see what we find. With six of us we should have enough in numbers to keep them at bay. But as I said it will all depend on the weather, and whether we can get a satellite signal and can make a call," Lee responded. "Thoughts, anyone?"

"I'm all for checking it out, sir. I've wanted to know what those things are since me and my dad had our run-in with them," Ski offered.

"I have to admit I'm curious about what they are as well, and I think it would be worth the hike to see if we can at least get a glimpse of them," Bobby added.

"Count me in Skipper," Patterson chimed in. They sat there quietly for nearly a minute all looking expectantly at Morton for his response.

"I should act as the voice of reason here and point out how badly things could go if we really do find these creatures and they don't think that's a good thing. We're stuck out here miles from a road, in subzero conditions, snow up to our asses, with currently no means of calling for help let alone finding our way back should we need immediate assistance," Chip started. He looked closely at the other men's faces as their expressions changed from hopeful to resigned. "But all that being said, I think we should go for a little walk once the sun comes up and see where that trail takes us, assuming Riley is up for it. I can only imagine how badly the admiral would light into us for turning down such a unique opportunity."

They all sat back and nodded their heads in agreement then started to chuckle. Nelson would definitely rip them a new one if they didn't follow up if conditions allowed. Doc on the other hand would be less than thrilled for taking unnecessary chances with no backup. Lee mentally laughed knowing stars beat clusters everytime and they would be going for a walk in the 'morning'.

"Well that's settled. All right everyone, get some shuteye and we'll pose the question to Riley when he comes in."

Ninety minutes later, Riley pushed the door open and came in to get Kowalski to relieve him. Lee quickly recapped the discussion they had had while he was on watch then asked him whether he wanted to follow those tracks or just concentrate on getting back to civilization. To no one's surprised he was all in favor of the expedition. With their course of action set, Ski crawled out to take his watch and they all settled in for some sleep.

(olooo

Having completed his tour on watch, Lee pushed the pack out of the quinzhee door and crawled in finding everyone up and about. He shook off the cold and crawled over to his sleeping bag and slid inside to warm up. Chip quickly passed him a cup of coffee which he sipped on cautiously savoring the hot beverage.

"You want me to go back out Skipper?" Riley asked as he unzipped his bag.

"No, I think were done for now, since we're all up and about," Lee said between sips. "The weather has moved in and it's starting to lay down some serious snow again but at least it's warmed up above zero. I'm still not able to get a signal on my Sat phone. Everyone check yours just to make sure it isn't just my phone."

They all quickly pulled out their phones and turned them on to let the devices start scanning for a signal. Within minutes they were all shaking their heads indicating they couldn't pull in a signal either.

"I wonder what's blocking the signals? This seems to have lasted too long to just be coincidence," Chip commented as he snapped off his phone.

"I agree with you there, Chip. Even with solar flares, the interruption in reception shouldn't be constant. I wonder if this has anything to do with our visitors last night?" Lee replied.

"Well, that lends credence to your theory they're aliens here to conquer our world," Chip answered then winked and laughed.

"So what now Skipper?" Patterson asked.

"With nothing more than a compass, I'm not inclined to strike out for civilization just yet. I want a little more to go on, like the stars to give us more than a general direction. If you're all still up for it, I think we should go for a little walk before the snow completely erases those creature's tracks." Lee looked around the hut and found everyone nodding yes. "Good. Let's all get a good hot meal in our bellies and then we'll start following that trail and see where it leads us."

"Sounds like a plan, Skipper," Kowalski replied, a large smile on his face thrilled at the chance of maybe finding a sasquatch. They quickly set to boiling water to reconstitute their dehydrated foods and soon were packed up for a day trip to track down whatever had passed by their door.

As they crawled out of their hut, it was nearly 0900 and still dark; they wouldn't see daylight for another couple of hours. It was snowing heavily as they donned their packs, checked their guns, strapped on their snowshoes, and then began heading deeper into the woods following the rapidly disappearing trail.

(olooo

"Any luck on getting in contact with Lee and his team?" Jamie asked as he came down the stairs from his room.

"Not a word," Nelson grumbled. "I checked with the Troopers and they said something was seriously messing with satellite reception in the general area where we dropped them off. They also said it started to snow heavily in the area so visibility is next to nothing, so there's no point in putting up a chopper or plane to fly over and look for them."

"Well that's not encouraging," Jamie replied. "Still I don't doubt that they have everything under control and are safe."

"I'm sure you're right. I just don't like not knowing what's going on." Harri wiped a hand across his face to try and hide his concern. "Come on, let's get some breakfast started and we can make plans for a fly over with FS-1. If they can hear her, they may be able to fire off a signal to let us know where they are."

(olooo

They all immediately fell into line behind Crane as he broke trail. The snow was falling heavily and the world had taken on a rather mottled appearance with the white snow, gray sky and papery white birch and snow laden blue spruce that surrounded them. Every 50 yards or so they noticed the skipper take his knife and cut a notch into a tree at about head level.

"What are you doing that for, Skipper?" O'Brien asked as he watched the man mark a tree for about the 10th time.

"Blazing a trail, if you will. If it keeps snowing like this for much longer, we could easily lose the tracks we're following and the trail we've made. It's amazing how fast that can occur, especially if the wind decides to kick up again. We can look for the notches on the trees if for some reason we lose our path," Lee explained as he sheathed his knife. He lifted up his thermometer and took a quick reading. They were sitting at -15 F but luckily the winds remained calm. He conducted a thorough visual once over of his team looking for any indications of hypothermia or frostbite. Everyone so far was looking good.

"Let's take a quick break, get something to drink and relax for a few minutes. This tromping through the deep snow can get us overheated in a hurry."

They all nodded and quickly pulled their water bottles out from inside their jackets and took a couple of sips. As they relaxed and cooled off, Chip moved over to Lee and leaned on the tree next to him.

"How much further do you think we should follow these tracks?" Chip inquired.

Lee looked up at the gray-white featureless sky and then scanned the surrounding terrain as he considered Chip's question. "I'm inclined to give this another hour or two depending on weather. We're starting to get into some mountainous terrain and I don't want to take a chance on anyone getting injured. I think if we make that ridge ahead without encountering anything we'll turn around and head back. Thoughts?" he said and then looked at the men surrounding him.

"Sounds like a good approach to me," Chip replied.

"I'm up for it Skipper," Kowalski answered. "I'm curious as hell, but don't want to get caught up in a wild goose chase either." Patterson and Riley nodded in full agreement with Ski's comment.

"How about you Bobby? Still up for the hunt?" Lee inquired.

"Sure thing sir. It's not like we really have to be anywhere at the moment."

"Okay, then it's settled. We'll rest here for another 15 minutes and then make our final push for that ridge ahead. If we're still no closer to an answer, then we'll call it good and head back to our hut. While we're stopped everyone check your phones and GPS units. Call out if you get anything," Lee stated as he fished his phone out of his parka pocket and then flipped it on to start its scan for a signal.

He growled audibly as the units one after the other reported no signals to be found. Looking up, he saw similar reactions from the rest of his men. This just wasn't normal and he didn't think it happening at the same time they had spotted the footprints was in anyway coincidental. His sixth sense began to tingle as they got closer to the mountain, and he wasn't sure if they really needed to meet what might be there.

(olooo

Lee did a quick scan of his men and verified that they were rested and ready to go. "Pat, take over as lead for a while."

"Aye, Skipper," Patterson replied. He headed to the front of the line and they started their climb up to the ridge.

The snow continued to fall heavily making the large tracks appear to be no more than small divots as the flakes quickly covered everything in their wake. After nearly an hour of slogging through the snow they neared the top of the ridge and the trail stopped. They all quickly began to scan the area for any hint of where the creatures had gone.

"Hey Skipper! Over here sir," Riley called out. "Looks like there's a cave or something over there along that rock face."

"Good eyes," Crane replied. He turned and walked cautiously over to the opening and looked in as far as he could without entering. All he succeeded in seeing was the about 10 feet into the opening of the cave. "Well it looks like the only way we're going to find out if anything's in there, is to go in."

Lee pulled off his pack, unzipped one of the pockets and removed a flashlight. The others rapidly followed suit. They quickly put their packs back on and then turned on the lights as they all pulled out their guns.

"Okay, Chip and Ski are with me; you three stay out here until we determine if it's safe and we call you in," Lee said. "I'm really hoping no one's home." He then smiled and winked as he moved into the mouth of the cave.

Once inside they rapidly played their lights all around the cave looking for anything that would present an immediate threat. Finding nothing poised to pounce on them they conducted a more thorough search of the space. It seemed to be a hollowed out gap between two layers of granite. By the looks of it wind, water and temperature had worked in concert to create the void. The ceiling rose a good fifteen to twenty feet above them narrowing at the top and the rest of the dimensions of the space were about forty by forty feet. The walls were relatively smooth with an occasional outcrop of granite not yet eroded by nature. The floor of the cave was granite with little dirt or plant matter making it impossible to tell if the big footed animals had entered. Out of the elements, it actually seemed rather warm and cozy all things considered.

"Well what ya think Lee?" Chip asked, after having played his light all over the space.

"Looks okay, to me. You find anything Ski?"

"No sir, just an empty cave."

"Might as well call the others in and let them get out of the weather for a bit," Lee said. "Bobby, Pat, Riley, coast is clear, come on in." They quickly made their way into the cave glad to be out of the snow and growing wind.

Lee unzipped his coat as he found the cave really quite warm. He glanced down at the thermometer on his jacket and found it reporting a surprising 45 degrees. "There must be a thermal vent somewhere around here. Everybody take a load off and let's grab a meal and rest before we start back." He then divested himself of his pack and dropped it on the cave floor.

Everyone followed his lead doffing their packs and opening up their jackets to enjoy the warmth inside the cave. They all started rustling through their packs as they pulled out food for their lunch. Riley looked around the cave and found a large flat piece of granite that had sloughed off the wall and slowly lowered himself on top of it. As he sat down, the rock suddenly shifted retracting smoothly into the cave floor.

"What the hell?" he called out as he rolled off the side of the rock. The others turned to regard him then spun in the opposite direction as they heard a grinding sound and noticed a barrier rapidly lowering in front of the cave entrance from the ceiling. Lee and Chip launched themselves toward the mouth of the cave in hopes of jamming it open but the barrier was in place too quickly.

The Seaview men stood there stunned by the sudden development of finding themselves now trapped inside the cave. Before anyone could speak, there was a loud bang, like a locking mechanism releasing something and the wall opposite the mouth of the cave began to move upwards into the ceiling. They all traded surprised glances and quickly followed their skipper's lead as he grabbed his weapon and flipped off the safety.

With the wall now fully retracted, they were presented with a long, dark tunnel leading deep into the mountain. They quickly shined their flashlights down the tunnel illuminating the shaft. Much to their relief there was nothing immediately there to greet them and they all blew out a breath of air. Once their heartbeat's had returned to normal, Lee began moving slowly forward down the hall, followed closely by his men. As they worked their way deeper into the tunnel, they could see a faint light in the distance. As they got closer, they heard what sounded like a rhythmic beat and other sounds emanating from the other end.

"What do you think that is?" Chip whispered to Lee.

"Got me. Maybe we've found Bigfoot," Lee answered quietly. "Almost sounds like a ritual or something." As they crept closer they could hear what sounded like growls and roars and then a repeat of the scream they had heard inside their quinzhee. They all stopped and stared intently at each other.

"Come on," Lee said as he waved them forward, "Only one way to find out what that is. Keep your weapons ready and stay alert." That was met with a quiet chorus of "Aye, sir."

(olooo


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

As they neared the end of the tunnel there was another loud roar, which was met with a loud call of voices and then music began to play. Lee and crew stood there at the opening, just out of sight and listened. Next thing they heard was an electric piano and after the opening solo riff it was joined by a snare drum and guitar. They all stared at each other in surprise as they recognized the tune.

"Is that what I think that is?" Kowalski asked.

The lyrics followed next. " _A Louie Louie, oh no said we gotta go, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, y'a said Louie, Louie. Oh baby said we gotta go_ …" As the song hit the chorus they heard grrow, grrow, grrow, grrow.

"What the hell?" Bobby asked.

"Geez, sounds like a furry frat party in there," Chip responded.

Lee furrowed his brow and shook his head slightly in amusement as he listened. He eased forward then crouched down and cautiously peered around the tunnel entrance to find a huge cavern. A huge cavern filled with a sea of huge furry sasquatches dancing and partying. He stood straight up he was so stunned by the vision.

They all stood at least ten feet tall, the tallest being well over twelve, and they were completely covered in long hair of varying shades. The shorter beings seemed to have more feminine characteristics and the larger ones appeared to be male. Some were all black, others more bark colored, and even a few were all white. Their faces bore a striking resemblance to a gorilla's or chimp's, but there was more hair covering the face. They had human like hands with opposable thumbs and large bare feet with five toes; the big toe slightly offset. Their movements were graceful and fluid as they moved to the music, something Lee didn't quite expect for creatures that large.

"What is it Lee?!" Chip hissed. "What's wrong?"

Lee waved him forward and Chip and the others moved cautiously to the entrance. There was no doubt it was one hell of a party with at least one hundred sasquatches having a good time. At the far end of the cavern was a stage for a band and a DJ. Suspended from the ceiling was a huge disco ball bathed in a rotating wash of colored lights creating a dappled rainbow over the dancers below. Monstrous speakers were positioned around the room, as were large tables and chairs, a mosh pit in front of the stage, and what appeared to be a bar along the wall to the right. There was a huge screen on the opposite wall playing the movie _Animal House_. Some of the attendees were dressed in what could only be considered togas.

"Are you seeing this?" Patterson whispered incredulously.

"Looks like a Wookiee spring break," Riley added, with a slight snicker.

"I suppose that answers the question as to whether they're intelligent or not," Lee replied with a smile.

"What do we do now Skipper? Do we make contact or try to figure a way out?" O'Brien inquired.

Before Lee could answer a loud growl rattled them from behind and three of the beasts stepped up blocking their retreat. The cavern was immediately silent as the revelers froze, the music died, and they all turned and regarded the six interlopers. It was the ultimate ' _oh shit_ ' moment for both species as they nervously regarded each other.

(olooo

Rapidly regaining his wits, Lee took the first step towards controlling the situation by holstering his gun and that action was quickly repeated by the rest of his men. He slowly stepped out into the room, again followed by his men, trying as best he could to indicate that they meant them no harm and would appreciate the same consideration.

"My name is Lee Crane, and we mean you no harm," Lee called out.

That was immediately met by a rapid exchange between the various sasquatches in the room. Lee figured they most likely understood English if they were watching American movies and listening to human music. They stood there as calmly and patiently as they could, waiting for some sort of response from the others in the room. After a few minutes the crowd began to part as three of the beings approached. The apparent leader wore a long white toga, a hideous necktie around its neck and sported a laurel wreath on its head. The other two were slightly shorter, one clad in a red and white checked tablecloth toga and the other just wore the laurel wreath. They regarded each other for what seemed forever, each trying to divine the intentions of the other.

"Graalll ooweemak," the apparent leader responded. The leader seemed to cough into its paw/hand as though clearing its throat. "Pardon me. I haven't spoken English in quite some time. My name is Graalll and we likewise mean you no harm, Lee Crane."

"You speak English, excellent," Lee replied. "My men and I have been taking part in an arctic cold weather survival course and I think you or some of your group were outside our hut last night. We followed the tracks in the snow which led us here." Lee offered as explanation for their arrival.

There were a number of growls and a series of exchanges as the sasquatches digested Lee's information. He noticed a couple of the smaller squatches getting a quick slap to the back of their heads. "Well that explains your arrival here. I must admit I'm rather surprised at how well you're dealing with our presence. Most of your people have either run in fear or started shooting, and given the weapons on your hips we rather expected the latter. Can you tell us why?" Graalll replied.

"We've encountered others from different worlds and dimensions before, so you might say we're experienced in this area. We work on a research submarine that conducts extensive exploration of the ocean depths and through our missions we've all met beings we never in our wildest dreams expected to encounter." Lee answered.

"You mean the Seaview? OMG, you're that Lee Crane?!" Graalll responded, almost fawning like a star struck fan.

"Yes, you've heard of us?" Lee asked, surprised at Graalll's response.

"Oh yeah. I'm majoring in Earth studies and I'm fascinated by the Seaview, NIMR, and the work you're all doing. Really interesting coordination between your organization and the US military and other governmental agencies," Graalll explained. He was tapped on the shoulder and had a quick exchange with one of the others. "Pardon me, but I need to get this party started again." He stepped back and let loose a ground shaking roar that was met with an immediate and equally uproarious response, then the music keyed back up and the rest of the group returned to their party.

"So I take it you're not from around here?" Lee inquired once Graalll turned his attention back to their new guests.

"No we're from a galaxy far, far away," he replied and then started to laugh.

"Let me guess, you've at some point met George Lucas?" Lee asked.

"I'm not saying one way or the other," he said with a grin. "So in answer to your question we're from a planet called Rotack, about 1900 light years from here. We call ourselves Ka Wookeeni and we have been coming to your planet for centuries. It's one of the top tourist destinations for us. My friends and I are here during our break in studies to decompress and have some fun. Although, that's probably going to come to an end in the near future given the number of technological advancements your scientists are making and just the sheer number of people that reside on your planet."

"Whoa, so you're saying Earth is like a Daytona Beach for you?" Riley interjected.

"Totally. I love coming here."

"Dude, that is so cool," Riley answered. Chip rolled his eyes and cleared his throat. "Sorry Mr. Morton." Riley then turned several shades of red following his outburst. Chip and Lee started to laugh.

"So why not just engage with human society instead of lurking in the shadows and being a creature of myth and mystery?" Lee asked, yelling over the music.

Graalll smiled and cupped his hand to his ear, having a difficult time hearing the question. "Come on, let's go grab a table in a quieter location and you can ask all the questions you want," Graalll answered then turned and walked back through the sea of dancers on the dance floor.

(olooo

Reaching the far end of the cavern, they located an empty table next to the wall. Graalll indicated they should all take a seat. Given the large size of the Ka Wookeeni, their furniture was sized accordingly. Each of the men struggled a bit climbing onto the high chairs and they all flashed back to childhood memories of sitting at the grownup table as kids, their feet dangling above the floor, the table almost at shoulder height and each feeling in serious need of the thick yellow pages placed on the seat to boost their position at the table.

"Let me introduce the rest of my group," Graalll started once they had all been seated. "To my left is Takeetna, who is my girlfriend, in your parlance. On my right is Malakata, my roommate at school and co-sponsor of the party." They each waved as introduced.

"It's a pleasure to meet you all," Lee replied. "With me is Chip Morton, my executive officer on Seaview, Bobby O'Brien, my diving officer, Rick Kowalski, Dave Patterson, and Stu Riley all crewmen on the boat." As Lee introduced them they all nodded and acknowledged their hosts.

"Great to meet all of you. You really can't believe what a treat it is getting to meet you all in person; I have been enthralled by your operations for years. Before we get into what are probably thousands of questions, may I offer you something to drink? We've got a beverage from home that is very similar to your beer. Ours is called narval," Graalll responded.

Lee quickly scanned the faces of this men and then briefly locked eyes with Chip, who shrugged. "Sure, we'd love to try your brew." Malakata smiled, rose from the table and headed over to the bar. A few minutes later he returned with 9 large steins filled to the brim with narval. He quickly doled the mugs out to those at the table.

"To new friendships," Graalll offered and raised his stein in a toast.

Each of the Seaview men grabbed their mug as well and raised it up. "To new friendships." They then cautiously took a sip of the drink, tasting the alien beverage. After a moment they all smiled and took a deeper swig from the oversized tankards. The brew was very strong, resulting in some raised eyebrows, and tasted like a cross between a barley wine and an English stout.

"That's excellent," Chip replied as he licked the frothy head from of his lips.

"Glad you like it; this is one of my favorites. Although I am also very fond of your beers and ales too," Graalll replied. "So Lee, in answer to your question about keeping our existence secret, it's based on how your people tend to respond. Most don't handle things new and different all that well. You and your men are proving to be quite the exception. I don't mean to sound condescending, but as a race you're just not mature enough to really know what's out there."

Lee nodded his understanding, as did the others. "I totally agree with your observation. But given your concerns about our race, why are there so many sightings of your people and especially like the type of encounter that brought us here? I would think that you would be able to move around completely undetected given your advanced civilization."

"When someone is allowed to come to Earth for the first time, they must demonstrate their proficiency at locating and getting back to a transport site should their equipment fail or they become lost. For the newbies, they are, for lack of a better term, dumped in the wilderness and required to navigate their way back. If they can't do it, they're never allowed to return," Malakata responded. "They must locate the transport site by calling to others and signaling by means of code by whacking the trees. It's usually during these tests that we're spotted."

"That's part of the test too," Takeetna added. "If they are detected, they have to make sure they don't get captured and also find their way to the meeting point without bringing anything back with them. There have only been a few times in last 100 years that we've been discovered. I think you've guessed at one of them," she finished with a chuckle.

"Yeah, the elders weren't too thrilled with that, or the fact he was allowed to leave with his memories intact, but in the long run it will work to make the populace more accepting when we finally make our presence known," Graalll finished.

"We are however having a kickass time playing with those professional sasquatch hunters that show up on your television programs," Malakata injected and then they all began laughing. "It's a great game of hide and seek. It's so much fun jerking their chains and keeping just out of their reach. They see us as little more than big monkeys and it's a blast making them look like a monkey's uncle."

"I saw one of your people when I was a teenager," Kowalski offered. "I was out camping in the Cascades with my dad and we heard the roars, the beating on the trees and then there was this horrible smell. As we moved away from camp, we spotted something large and hairy running through the woods up the mountain. Sure scared the crap out of us. No offense, but why doesn't it stink in here?"

Graalll smiled. "No offense taken. The scent is an ancient defense mechanism, much like your skunks. When frightened or threatened our bodies start exuding the pungent odor you encountered. It really works to back off a lot of things."

All the humans nodded in understanding and silently responded 'oh'. They momentarily returned their attention to their drink. As they sat there an all-white version of their host walked up to the table and whispered something into Graalll's ear. Lee turned in his seat and scanned the crowd behind him and spotted only a couple of others like the white one.

"Yeti?" Chip asked Lee quietly.

"Yeah, yeti," the white one responded with a chuckle. "I'm an exchange student attending classes on Rotack. My name is Lladcaro and my people live on a different planet in our solar system called Bravdo."

"We're all the same species, kind of like the different races on your planet, but have developed different appearances and traits based on the planets we live on. At some point in our ancient history, members of our species were placed on the habitable planets in our solar system by an alien race, probably as some sort of experiment. As you may have guessed, Bravdo is a very cold place with lots of ice and snow. The tribe that lives there adapted by turning white, developing a heavier coat and thicker undercoat, and a greater resistance to cold. Like your people, ours also tend to stay with their own kind, so Lladcaro's people prefer to vacation in the Himalayas. The people from Nivarna are more inclined to go to your swampy bayou regions and are rather unflatteringly called skunk apes there." Everyone laughed at that one and took another swig of their drink. "Our people visit all of your continents, including Antarctica," Graalll explained.

"So Lee, Lladcaro and the rest of group want to know if you and your men would be willing to join in the party and give anyone who would like the opportunity to talk with you."

Lee looked at his men and received nods of agreement as they were just as interested in learning more about the Ka Wookeeni. "It looks as though that is a resounding yes," Lee replied. "Bobby why don't you Ski, Pat, and Riley go mingle and we'll join you shortly. I have a couple more questions I'd like to ask Graalll.

"Aye Skipper," Bobby responded, then he and the others climbed down off their chairs and followed Lladcaro to the party.

(olooo

"What other questions do you have Lee?" Malakata inquired.

"I've got two right off the top. First, are you responsible for our inability to access the communications satellites with our equipment?"

"Yes, we project a very small dampening field that scrambles those signals and hopefully hides our activities while we're here. The effect can only be maintained for about three of your days so before it plays out we have to be gone. I'm sorry if it has in some way put you in danger. We tried to select a very remote location where there would be minimal chance of encountering humans. I think you could tell we were as surprised to see you as you were to see us," Takeetna answered.

Chip and Lee smiled and nodded in agreement with her last statement. "My second question is how do you travel to our planet; by means of ship or do you utilize wormholes?" Lee replied.

The Ka Wookeeni looked at each other surprised by the second question. "How do you know about travel via wormhole?" Graalll asked.

"Admiral Nelson and I had an unfortunate run-in with another alien race that utilizes that mode of transportation. So which do you use?"

"We use ships with engines that create a field that allows us to travel faster than light. We have yet to develop the wormhole technology."

"Let me guess, a warp drive system?" Chip asked, a twinkle of amusement in his eyes.

The Ka Wookeeni laughed. "You could call it that," Malakata answered and winked.

"So now we know the second person who stumbled onto one of your parties," Lee replied and laughed as well.

"Who did you meet that travels by wormhole, Lee?" Takeetna asked.

"Odejaians*. It was not a pleasant meeting and I'll leave it at that," Lee replied, not about to go into their attempt to put the human race on the auction block for sale as slaves across the universe. As he tried to shove that unsettling experience back into its box, he looked out across the dance floor. He had to smile as he spotted Riley dancing with one of the Ka Wookeeni, while the other three were completely surrounded by those interested in meeting them and appeared to be having a good time.

"Understood," Graalll said solemnly. "We've also encountered certain races that didn't have the best of intentions towards us. Are there any more questions you have right now?"

"As you said thousands, but I don't want to keep you from your party."

"Not a problem," Malakata answered. "Why don't we all adjourn to the dance floor for a bit and then we can come back and address more of your questions."

(olooo


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

As they all rose and started towards the dance floor, Lladcaro came running up with a huge smile on his face. "Lee would you by any chance have any of your human beer with you?"

Lee shook his head no and laughed as did the others. "No, sorry Lladcaro we aren't packing any beer. Since this was supposed to be a survival training mission we were only carrying the bare necessities."

"Could you get us some?" he asked, a mischievous glint lighting his eyes.

"I don't see how. The closest store is in Fairbanks and given the snow storm and lack of transportation there's no way we could get there."

Lladcaro looked at Graalll, Takeetna, and Malakata and said something to them in their language. Graalll shook his head no in response which drew an obviously pleading reply from Lladcaro. After a moment Graalll's stern expression crumbled and a devilish smile spread across his face as he nodded in agreement.

"Lee, if we can transport you to Fairbanks, would you be willing to get us some of your excellent beer?" Graalll asked.

Lee and Chip exchanged surprised looks at the request. "And just how would you do that?"

"We have a small air vehicle we bring with us for emergencies and the sort. It is fitted with what is essentially a cloaking system that makes it invisible, both visually and to electronic detection equipment. We can take you in, you get the beer, and we all come back and really kick this party into high gear." Lladcaro explained.

Lee regarded their hosts and then his XO. Chip gave him a vague shrug with a smile, letting him know it was his decision and that's why he made the big bucks. He made another quick scan of the dance floor and other sections of the cave gauging how the Ka Wookeeni were behaving and looking for any indications of aggression or duplicity. Feeling no niggling tingle of warning from his sixth sense, he made his decision. "You aren't mean drunks are you?" Lee asked in mock seriousness.

"No, no, we get very mellow and happy," Lladcaro responded quickly, then caught on to Lee's joke and began to laugh.

"I think we can do that for you," Lee replied with a smile. "We'll need to bring Chip and Ski with us because Alaska liquor laws are a bit quirky regarding how much can be purchased by one person at any one time and I'm sure we'll need more than one keg. I also have to talk with the rest of my crew before we leave."

"Sweet! Thanks Lee, this Break is going to be epic all because of you and your men," Lladcaro exclaimed as he nearly vibrated in excitement. "I'll go round up your crew for you," he said and literally scampered off to collect the visitors.

"How is it you're so well acquainted with our beers?" Chip asked.

"As we told you, your people have two reactions when they meet one of us; fight or flight. When they're runners, they tend to leave everything at their campsite as they hightail it back to their vehicles. Well we've liberated any number of cases of beer or kegs as booty," Graalll said laughingly. "I'm partial to the ales and lagers, Malakata likes the stouts, and Takeetna here really enjoys the fruit beers and ciders. When we grab their beer we do usually leave a footprint in exchange." They all laughed at that.

As they walked towards the dance floor they were quickly joined by Bobby and the others. "What's up, Skipper?" Bobby asked.

"Bob, at the request of our hosts here, we are going to make a beer run to Fairbanks," Lee replied and enjoyed the startled looks on his men's faces.

"Seriously?!" Patterson asked a bit loudly. Realizing his faux pas, he smiled sheepishly at his CO. "Sorry Skipper, that came out a little too loud."

"Yes Pat, seriously. Mr. Morton, Kowalski and I will be flown in to Fairbanks by Graalll and pick up the beer. If you're comfortable staying here, you, Mr. O'Brien and Riley will remain and are ordered to have fun and continue partying."

"That's more than okay with me," Riley said, a wide smile across his face.

"No problem with me, sir," Bobby echoed.

"How about you Pat?" Lee asked.

"I'm good with it too. These guys are party animals."

"Very well, then it's settled. Have fun but don't let it get out of hand and no fights," Lee said with a wink. "Okay Graalll, let's get going so we can kick this party to the next level."

(olooo

Graalll and Malakata escorted Lee, Chip and Ski to their hanger located in a smaller chamber off the party room. Their transport bore a striking resemblance to the shuttle craft depicted in the Star Trek television series, only larger to accommodate the Ka Wookeeni. The Seaview men just smiled and shook their heads in amusement.

Once inside, there were several seats located on the sides of the craft, leaving a cargo area open in the center behind the pilots. Graalll and Malakata quickly worked through their preflight checklists and fired up the engines. As the engines warmed, Malakata hit another switch and two sliding doors located in the wall in front of them parted revealing the raging snow storm outside the mountain.

The pilots edged the small craft carefully forward, then once clear of the hangar initiated a high velocity climb straight up above the storm. Their three passengers hung on for dear life as the G force slammed them deep into their seats. Reaching the desired altitude, Graalll leveled the craft out and made a beeline north towards Fairbanks. Fifteen minutes later, they found themselves circling the town.

"Where to Lee?" Graalll asked.

"Let me pull out my cell phone and see if I can find some liquor stores." Lee powered on his phone and then conducted a quick internet search locating four different stores where they could purchase kegs of beer. He quickly relayed their locations to the pilot and were soon hovering several hundred feet above the first.

"Okay, we're going to land over there in the empty lot by the building. You go get the beer then signal us and we'll open up and get everything loaded," Graalll instructed.

"And no one is going to notice your ship at all?" Ski asked.

"Nope, as soon as you get out you won't be able to see us either," Malakata confirmed.

"All right, let's get to this," Lee said, as he zipped up his parka. "We'll go buy as many kegs as they'll let us have and then haul them out to the side of the building. You then get them aboard. If we need more we can hit one or two more stores depending on how much you think you'll need."

Graalll and Malakata smiled. "I would think six should hold us," Graall answered. "We've got some of your money." He handed over just under $500. He smiled sheepishly and shrugged as he revealed more of the booty they had gathered from abandoned campsites.

"Thanks, we'll pick up the rest," Lee replied as he looked at Chip and got an affirming nod. "If you could stash the kegs somewhere here in Fairbanks where we can find them, I would like to get my deposit back." He smiled and winked.

"That is too kind. Thank you Lee. We'll make sure you get your money back," Malakata responded.

Lee, Chip, and Ski quickly exited the shuttle craft and hurried over to the Oaken Keg to purchase the beer. The clerk could only sell each man one keg, so they picked three different beers. Figuring it better to pay cash than risk being tracked down by a credit card transaction, Lee pulled out his wallet as did Chip, and they ponied up the money. As Lee finished with the transaction, Chip and Ski rolled the kegs outside and to the side of the store to await pick up. Once Lee finished paying he picked up the taps and headed out to join them.

Right after Lee had left the store, the clerk noticed he'd only grabbed two of the three taps. He picked up the third one and hurried out to give it to him before he drove off. As he came around the corner he froze in place, stunned at the sight that greeted him. He watched in amazement as the last keg was hefted into a lit doorway three feet off the ground by what he swore was a bigfoot. There was no vehicle that he could see, just a doorway. "What the hell…" he said aloud drawing the attention of Lee and the sasquatch passing up the keg.

Before the man could turn and run in terror, Malakata produced what looked like a laser pointer and depressed a button. A bright red beam shot out from the device and enveloped the man, freezing him in place. He walked quickly over to the man and whispered something in his ear, then snapped off the beam. The man blinked incomprehensibly at the large furry being in front of him, then shook his head, blinked a couple more times and went back into his store.

"What the hell just happened?" Lee inquired, asking the question that Chip and Ski also had on their minds.

Malakata regarded the humans noticing the glint of suspicion and wariness in their eyes following that display. "Please don't worry. I merely adjusted his memory just a tad. The beam erases short term memory and then we replace it with another so there is no discernable gap and our presence remains undetected."

"Oh shit, like a neuralizer in the movie _Men in Black_ , right?!" Ski exclaimed.

Malakata smiled sheepishly and nodded. "If you want to verify the man is unharmed, go back inside and check on him."

"Nothing personal, but I think I'll do that," Lee replied, and returned to the store.

As he entered the clerk looked up at him and smiled. "Glad you came back in, you forgot to take the tap for the third keg," he said as he passed the device across the counter.

"Thanks," Lee said, then smiled as he accepted the tap.

"Sure thing. Enjoy your evening, with that much beer it must be one hell of a party."

"Yeah it is. It's really going to be outta this world," Lee answered and laughed as he exited and walked back to the shuttle. Ski and Chip stared at him as he climbed in and took his seat.

"Well?" Chip asked.

"Just like in the movie," Lee answered with a chuckle. "He just passed me the tap and wished us a good evening. Okay Graalll let's get moving, we have one more liquor store to hit and then back to the party." Lee flipped on his phone and located the next store.

(olooo

They moved next to the Brown Jug and repeated their purchases. As Ski was wheeling his keg out the door he literally ran into LT James as he entered. Ski looked up to make his apologies and just froze. "Mr. James, what are you doing here, sir?"

"Ski?! I could ask you the same question," the young officer replied, stunned to see a man supposedly stranded in a snow cave in the frigid wilds of Alaska.

Kowalski squirmed under the lieutenant's scrutiny until Lee walked up behind them. "What's the holdup Ski? We need to be getting back," Lee asked anxious to get the kegs loaded and on their way. As he looked over Ski's shoulder he spotted the reason why. "Hi Mike," he said nonchalantly. "What are you doing here?"

"Uh…hi… sir. Uh... the admiral had me and Frank bring FS-1 up because he was concerned that it had gotten so cold and they couldn't reach you on the Sat phone, sir," James replied. "I thought you were out in the woods completing survival training."

"And we were, are," Lee started, just as Chip walked up behind him.

"Whoa," Chip said, screeching to a halt with his keg. "Hey Mike, fancy meeting you here."

"You too Mr. Morton," the befuddled LT replied. "Does the admiral know you're all back?"

"No, we haven't been able to get in touch with him either. We just popped in to pick up some beer for the party and are heading back," Lee answered. He was enjoying the young LT's confusion while he mentally resolved what to do next.

"Back sir? Back to where, if I may ask?"

"Back to the party of course," Chip chimed in with a laugh. "Where else would we go with this much beer. Make yourself useful and open the door for us would you?"

James nodded numbly then stepped back and held the door open as Ski, Lee, and Chip trolleyed their kegs out of the store and over to the side of the building. He followed them over and just kept shaking his head trying to make some sort of sense out of this whole encounter. He was pretty sure the admiral was going to flay the captain alive as soon as he found out they were holed up in Fairbanks instead of some igloo out in the woods.

Sure that no one was watching them, Lee gave the okay signal to Graalll and the door to the shuttle opened spilling light out into the dark empty lot. Malakata climbed out and quickly picked up a keg and headed back in.

James stood there mouth agape, eyes wide at the size of the furry creature that came ambling out of the invisible craft. "Uh Skipper what's going on? Who is that and what are they riding in?" he asked quietly out of the side of his mouth, as the thing came back out and grabbed another keg.

"That Mr. James is a Ka Wookeeni aka sasquatch. We tracked them down to their party lair up in the mountains and have been asked to party with them until they have to go. They've got this bitchin' ship that they can make invisible, so it was perfect for the beer run," Lee explained. With all the kegs loaded Lee looked up at Malakata motioning him to use his pen. Malakata smiled and nodded as he picked up on what Lee wanted. "Do you want to see something really cool?"

"Ah sure…sir," James answered hesitantly.

"Great. Come over here and meet Malakata. He's got this really neat pen he wants to show you."

Malakata ambled over to Lee, Chip, and Mike. James looked up in awe as Malakata towered over them.

"Here, watch this," Malakata said and then activated his device and James' expression went blank. Malakata mumbled something in his ear about buying a couple of beers and then heading back to the hotel. James just nodded.

"All right everyone back inside, we're wasting time. He won't remember a thing about your encounter so everything should be good go," Graalll called out from the shuttle door. They all nodded and quickly got aboard and disappeared before the numbing effects of the neuralizer wore off and they had to zap James again.

(olooo

Thirty minutes later, Graalll deftly returned the shuttle back to their mountain party cave and powered down the engines. As soon as the bay doors were shut, a group of Ka Wookeeni emerged through the doors to collect the beer. Walking back into the party room, a loud roar of approval greeted them as did O'Brien, Riley and Patterson.

"Good to see you back, sir," O'Brien said in greeting, his relief obvious.

"Problems Bobby?" Lee inquired as he took in his second officer's expression.

"No sir, just nice having you back," Bobby answered with a bit of an embarrassed grin.

Lee, Chip, and Ski chuckled knowingly. Having to deal with an alien or other spectral entity as the team lead could be a little trying, which is exactly why Lee left Bobby behind to get the experience. "I hate to tell you this Bobby, but you'll get used to it on Seaview."

Bobby laughed. "I know what you mean sir. Funny that wasn't in the job description."

"Come on Lee, Chip, Ski, we've been too long without a drink and thanks to you the party will last a lot longer," Malakata said as he gestured the trio to follow him over to the bar. They all nodded and smiled fully agreeing with his observation.

As they made their way to the bar, the music stopped and there was the sound of someone thumping a microphone. Everyone stopped talking and turned their attention towards the stage and the DJ. "All right you party animals it's that time when we bring the wannabe performers up and let them serenade us. We have all the tunes loaded on the machine and we just need our first volunteer," she said.

There was a mixed reaction of groans and cheers from the crowd. Takeetna jumped up and waved her arms indicating she was first up for a round of karaoke. "I'm ready to rock the house," she called out and headed for the stage.

"What's going on?" Chip asked Graalll.

"It's karaoke time," he replied with a slight grimace. "It can be really good or really bad, but generally a lot of fun. One of our guys picked this up when he was touring with a group in Asia. We have nothing like this back home."

Lee and Chip chuckled. "Ah karaoke; Japanese for tone deaf," Lee replied, garnering a round of laughter from the group.

Takeetna selected a song from their world and sang well given the reaction from the crowd. The humans applauded politely, having not understood a word and found the aria-like song not really to their liking. Of course Lee felt that way about anything opera, so who was he to judge. As she finished there was a call for one of the Seaview men to give it a try. Riley immediately accepted the challenge, hopped up on stage and began perusing the list of songs loaded on the machine.

His face lit up and he walked over to the DJ and told her his selection. A few moments later the familiar opening riffs from the Beach Boys hit _Surfin' USA_ blared out of the speakers and Riley delivered an excellent rendition of the classic 1960's hit, much to the delight of the crowd. While Stu sang, Lee and the others were asked to dance and each obliged.

As they moved within the gyrating sea of Ka Wookeeni, Chip worked his way over towards Lee and his partner. "Ever feel like you're standing in a hole?" Chip joked yelling above the music as he looked up at all the other dancers.

"Must be how the admiral feels at times," Lee joked back, and then noticed the look of mischievous delight on Chip's face. After a moment he quickly added, "You tell him I said that and you'll not see the outside of a bilge tank on our next ten cruises." Both men broke out laughing and continued dancing.

At one point throughout the night each of the Seaview men got up and provided a tune for the crowd. If it hadn't been for the beer, and the narval, Lee would have successfully avoided the pressure to perform but finally folded. He popped up on stage and knocked the crowd dead with his stunning rendition of _Juke Box Hero_ by Foreigner. He was just too relaxed and having too much fun to be worried about appearances. Climbing down off the stage he was immediately surrounded by his men.

"That was incredible, Skipper. I had no idea you could sing like that," Bobby offered.

"I did," Riley threw in. "My cousin sent me a video of him as the front man of a Foreigner tribute band a couple of years ago**. You still can shred it, sir."

"Thanks, guys," Lee replied self-consciously. "Let's just keep this little bit to ourselves please, or I may have to borrow Graalll flashy-thingy." Chip and Kowalski started laughing knowing what he meant while the other three were clueless. Lee laughed as well at their perplexed expressions. "Inside joke. I'll tell you about it later."

(olooo

"Nelson," Harri said, answering the phone.

"Admiral, it's Fox here at NIMR security," Darren Fox, head of NIMR security replied.

"Yes Darren, what have you got for me?"

"Sir, we've been monitoring your area trying to pick up any GPS signals from our party's Sat phones or even personal cell phones. We just picked up Captain Crane's phone twice for a very short time located in downtown Fairbanks. It was on for about 30 seconds total, then shut off," Fox informed the admiral.

"How is that possible? I know Lee had it with him when he left, and that was from here, not Fairbanks. Have you contacted LT James to try and track it down?" Nelson inquired.

"Yes sir. He was actually in close proximity to the Skipper's phone the second time it came on-line. He said that he had headed out to buy a couple of beers at a local liquor store but didn't see anyone in the area besides the store clerk, and there was no one else in the store. The clerk told him he had sold some guys some kegs of beer, but they didn't use a phone when they were there."

"I don't understand this. I can't imagine Lee running into anyone out where they're camping, let alone them being able to get possession of his phone. And it was just Lee's?"

"Yes sir. We've not picked up any other signals and there still seems to be some serious signal disruption in the area where the skipper and his team were dropped off," Darren responded.

"Well keep a close eye on the area and let me know the minute you pick up their signals again."

"Yes sir. I'll be in touch. Good night sir."

As Harri ended the call Jamie entered the living room. "News about Lee and crew?"

"In a way," Harri replied. "Darren said they picked up the GPS signal from Lee's cell phone a couple of times in Fairbanks. The second time it happened James was virtually on top of it, and didn't see them or anyone else, just a clerk at a local liquor store."

"How could Lee be in Fairbanks? Or better question how could his cell phone be in Fairbanks? It's not like anyone would just happen to stumble upon it, unless there was foul play somehow involved," Jamie posited.

"There are just too many coincidences going on with that communications blackout over their camp location and now Lee's phone showing up in Fairbanks. We're heading up there come hell or high water tomorrow morning to find our men and bring them home," Harri declared. He knew this was survival training but the operative word was training and he didn't like the idea of his crew potentially in danger.

Jamie nodded and turned to head back to his room. "Where are you going?" Harri asked.

"I've got to get all my emergency equipment packed and ready to go. You know the propensity for some of your crewmen to find injury regardless of the situation," Jamie answered, then shot Harri a smile.

"Good idea. I'd say be ready to roll at first light, but since that won't happen until around noon, be ready to go by 0800," Harri responded.

"Will do. I'll let Sharkey know too. Good night Harri, I'll see you in the morning."

"Night Jamie."

Harri turned and headed to the bar to grab a shot of scotch. He then opened the deck door and strode out onto the deck. The temperature was well below zero and his breath almost turned to snow as he exhaled. The snow had stopped nearly an hour ago and all the clouds had moved on, leaving a black velvet sky adorned with tiny diamonds. He looked up at the sky and was amazed at the dance of colors as the aurora borealis ebbed and flowed across the pitch black canvas. "Where the hell are you, son?" Harri asked quietly and took a swig of his drink. It was nearly midnight and he knew he too best head off to bed if he wanted to be of value tomorrow. He finished his drink, then came back inside and headed up to his room.

(olooo

There was suddenly a loud gonging noise in the room, then the music immediately stopped and the lights came up. The partiers squinted and rubbed their eyes at the sudden brightness in the cave. Lee and crew stared at each other and then at their hosts, wondering what was happening.

"Graalll, what's wrong, what's going on?" Lee asked as he approached the Ka Wookeeni.

"Just like your Cinderella, our midnight hour has arrived. Our suppression field is about to expire and we have to get everyone loaded up and off the planet before that occurs," Graalll explained.

"Oh, well that sucks," Riley slurred a bit, as he realized the party was over.

"So what about us?" Lee asked hesitantly, wondering whether they would emerge with their memories intact or find themselves staring blankly at each other in the entryway to the cave.

Graalll smiled in response. "Don't worry my friends. We have been in contact with the mother world and we have been given permission to leave your memories of us unchanged. Given what you've said about meeting other alien cultures and maintaining that secret in the best tradition of government cover ups, we trust you to protect our privacy, as it were."

"That's fantastic," Chip replied. "I would hate to think I wouldn't remember meeting you and this great party."

"Agreed," Malakata responded. "We would love to hook up with you guys next time we're back in the neighborhood. If we can give you advance notice, maybe you can bring some more beer." They all laughed and Lee nodded in agreement.

"It's a deal. So can we hang here until we've all sobered up and can safely make our way back to our camp?" Lee asked.

"We'll give you a ride, if that's okay?" Graalll offered. He was quickly met with a sea of bobbing heads.

Lee looked at his men and laughed. "I take it that's a yes. We accept, thank you."

"Cool. Grab your gear and then we'll get loaded up and outta here."

The Seaview men moved quickly to the area where they had stashed their packs, snowshoes, and jackets, and quickly reclaimed them. As they walked back to rejoin Graalll, Malakata, and Takeetna they noticed the other revelers begin to disappear in groups of ten, in a shower of golden sparkling light. They exchanged looks of amazement at their method of transportation.

"Let me guess," Bobby offered as he got nearer to Graalll, "they beamed back up?" The three Ka Wookeeni nodded and laughed. "Sweet," the young officer remarked.

"All right gents, time to get aboard and get you back to your snow cave," Malakata said.

They all piled in, stashed their gear then grabbed a seat. As they squirmed their way into the seats, Pat looked at them all sitting there, feet dangling over the edge and just started laughing.

"What's so funny?" Ski asked.

"Why do I feel like we all need a kiddie car seat?" Pat replied, which was met with rolled eyes and a volley of snorts and laughter.

"Don't make me come back there," Graalll joked in line with the ruckus in the back, as he maneuvered the shuttle out of the bay. He then hit a sequence of buttons that secured the facility until the next time they returned.

Riley giggled out loud at the parental admonishment. "Are we there, Yeti?!" he hollered back. The remark had them all rolling with laughter.

"Hang on." The shuttle completed a tight turn and headed back towards the area where the men had constructed their quinzhee a couple of days ago. As they flew, Graalll punched another button and suddenly Lee and crew were rendered unconscious.

"What gives?" Takeetna asked. "I thought you were going to take them back, memory intact."

"Oh I am, but I think we can have a little fun with them. Go get Lee's phone," Graalll directed.

(olooo


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

It was just past 0600 and still dark as pitch. Harri eyed the clock and groaned, but had no problem rolling out of bed as concern for his son and men had prevented him from sleeping soundly during the night. He moved to the bathroom and started the shower then crawled in. Having completing his morning ablutions, he dressed and headed downstairs to start the coffee and begin making some breakfast before LT James and Frank arrived with FS-1 to take them in search of their missing men.

As the scent of the coffee began wafting through the lodge he soon heard the other two men rustling around their rooms getting ready for the day. With the last of the brew dripping into the pot, Sharkey and Jamieson entered the kitchen.

"Morning, sir," Sharkey said. He then walked across the kitchen and pulled three mugs from the cabinet and poured the hot liquid into each one. "Have you heard anything from Mr. Fox today, sir?"

"Morning, Chief. There was an email from him saying they got another momentary GPS hit on Lee's phone around 0300 in the general vicinity of where they should be camping. Hopefully that means the interference with the satellites is starting to clear. I'm thinking the signals in Fairbanks were a result of that interference and not something more sinister like someone else in possession of Lee's phone," Nelson replied, as he accepted the cup of coffee from him. "Morning Jamie."

"Morning Harri," Jamie responded and then picked up his cup and took a tentative sip so as not to scald his mouth. "Breakfast smells good. You know you would make someone a good wife," he kidded and garnered a scathing glare from Nelson and a snort, at which point he just laughed. "Has Mike checked in yet? Are we still set for an 0800 departure?"

"He said he'll call just before he takes off so we can get everything staged and ready to go when he arrives," Harri answered.

Harri continued working on breakfast as Sharkey set the table and Jamie plopped slices of bread into the toaster, then pulled out the orange juice and jam from the refrigerator and placed them on the table. Harri removed the bacon pan from the burner and pulled the strips out placing them on a paper towel to drain. As that happened, he grabbed two bowls from the cupboard, placed the eggs and potatoes in them and then fished two spoons out of the silverware drawer. He placed the bowls on the table then they all took a seat.

"Dig in before it gets cold," Harri said as he took a couple of pieces of bacon and passed the plate. They all loaded their plates and dug in eating in silence as they focused on what they needed to do when James arrived with FS-1, and the impending search for their missing men. They finished their meal, then quickly cleaned up the kitchen.

"All right, let's grab our gear and get it staged down in the garage so we can get everything loaded as soon as James arrives and be on our way," Nelson said as he dried his hands.

They all returned to their rooms and finished getting dressed for their trip and gathered up their arctic gear. They emerged from their rooms at roughly the same time, and Nelson and Sharkey each grabbed one of the three med kits Jamie had assembled the night before. Entering the garage, they placed their bags in front of the garage bay door.

Harri tried to get a look at the weather conditions outside through the small bay door window but was finding his view blocked by something. "What the hell?" he said, then walked over to the garage door opener and hit the button retracting the door. As the door raised up they were greeted by the sight of six full sized beer kegs stacked in a pyramid with the keg taps positioned to form a winking smiley face.

"How did these get here?" Sharkey asked, perplexed by the sight.

They all stared at the aluminum monolith and noticed that there wasn't a single footprint anywhere to be found, nor any trail leading up to the lodge or the garage door. The kegs had to have been placed there after the snow stopped around 2300 because there wasn't so much as a snowflake on them. None of this made sense and for some reason Harri had a niggling feeling it was somehow tied to his missing men.

Finding the subzero temps uncomfortable without their parkas, Harri motioned for them all to get back into the garage and then closed the door. They all sighed in relief as the door rolled shut and the bitter cold was locked out.

"Any idea what this means?" Jamie asked, clearly confused by the situation.

"Nope," Sharkey replied shaking his head.

"I can't come up with a reason for it either. Come on let's head back upstairs and get warmed up. I'll get in touch with James and Fox for an update and we can think on this some more," Harri replied as headed towards the staircase.

(olooo

Lee sighed and stretched lazily as he woke from a deep sleep. He felt the soft and toasty flannel sheets against his bare skin, the pleasant weight of a heavy down comforter on top of that, along with the softness of the down pillow beneath his head. He yawned and then caught the subtle hints of coffee and bacon on the air. He smiled and snuggled down under the covers wanting to grab a few more minutes under his comfy cocoon. That was until it dawned on him where he should be.

He sat bolt upright in bed, snapped on the table lamp and quickly perused the room. He recognized it immediately and uttered a number of disparaging remarks about the parentage of his designated drivers. He quickly climbed out of bed and pulled on his t-shirt and jeans. He quietly walked across the floor, cracked open the door and peered into the hallway. Finding it empty, he eased his way out and crept cautiously to the next bedroom door and quietly opened it and looked in. Much to his relief he spotted a blond tuft of hair poking out from beneath the covers at the head of the bed, Chip was back too.

He walked up to the bed and called out quietly. "Chip…Chip…wake up."

Chip gave him a quiet growl. "Oh god, my head. Go away Lee. Can't you see I'm trying to sleep."

"And just where _should_ you be trying to sleep?" Lee asked.

As Chip processed that question, he suddenly shot up. This was most definitely not a quinzhee constructed in a small snow covered clearing in the middle of the woods. "What…how…how the hell did we get here?! Were we injured or something?" He ran his hands up and down his arms feeling for IV's or other signs that Jamie had had them in his clutches. After about a minute he growled. "Graalll."

Lee nodded. "Yeah Graalll. Looks like they couldn't pass up a little fun at our expense. Jerks!" Lee replied and then started to laugh. "Okay Chip roll out of bed, it's time to go face the music."

Chip grimaced knowing this most likely wouldn't be pretty, at least until they had the chance to fully explain their sudden appearance. He climbed out of bed and pulled on his jeans and t-shirt as well. "By jerks, you mean three Ka Wookeeni aka sasquatch, right?"

"Yes. Who else would I be talking about?"

"Just wanted to make sure we were sharing the same memories," Chip responded.

"Come on, let's go wake up the others and go announce our presence," Lee said as Chip gently rubbed the side of his head.

"Hold on a sec, I need some aspirin. That narval leaves a wicked hangover and I don't think I want to face the admiral without some sort of pain relief. Couldn't you have just gone down alone? You are after all our fearless leader," Chip offered in hopes of missing their boss' tirade.

"They sent you to watch me, to keep me out of trouble, so you have a lot to explain, Mister," Lee answered and smirked. Chip scowled at him then shot him a quick smile as he followed him out the door.

They split up and quickly tracked down the other four members of their group and rousted them out of bed as well. It was a motley looking crew to say the least. They were all clothed in blue jeans, t-shirts, and socks, each sported about a week's worth of beard, and hair standing up in all directions. They didn't smell the greatest either as they hadn't had an opportunity to crawl into the shower since their training exercise began. They also had the telltale signs of nursing a hangover to varying degrees. To his credit, Lee had the clearest head as he seemed to have processed the narval much better than his crew.

Lee stared at them for a moment then ran his hand over his face. _Oh god we are so dead,_ he thought to himself. At least their outward appearance would lend some credence to their unbelievable story. "All right you scurvy bilge rats, let's get this over with," he said and then shot them a smile as he led them quietly down the hallway towards the living room.

As they neared the room they could hear the admiral talking to someone on the phone and the reference to cell phones. Lee immediately pulled his cell out of his pants pocket and powered it up.

(olooo

"You found what, sir?" Fox replied following Nelson's report. "And no sign of how they got there?"

"Yes, there's a pyramid of beer kegs with a smiley face made out of beer taps blocking the garage door. We're at a complete loss to explain their presence," Nelson replied. "So what's the situation with comm's Darren?"

"As best we can tell; the interference is now gone. The weather has cleared over the area and everything is as it should be. We retried the Sat phones but they're either not on or the batteries are spent. I talked to LT James, who has been in contact with the Troopers, and all roads are now open so you should be able to get to them by land and air," Darren reported.

"Finally something is turning in our favor. Have you had any luck with their personal cell phones?

"I checked earlier once I noticed the weather had cleared, but got nothing. Odds are those batteries are dead by now as well," Fox answered.

"Damn," Harri responded. "Okay Darren keep on checking and if you come up with anything let us know ASAP...Yes, I'll let you know how things progress at this end. Talk with you later." Harri ended the call shaking his head in frustration.

"Still nothing?" Jamie inquired.

"No luck. The good news is the weather has cleared and with it so has the communications disruption in their exercise area. Darren's tried both their cells and Sat phones but no luck." Harri answered. "We've got another 30 minutes before James gets here and I could use another cup of coffee, how about you two?" Both Jamie and Sharkey nodded and they all headed for the kitchen.

After refilling their cups, they sat down around the table. As time passed, anxiety and concern seemed to grow exponentially. In total frustration Harri snapped up his phone and hit the quick dial button for Lee's phone. They sat there quietly as the signal was processed from his phone to the cell tower and then out in search of the receiver. They suddenly heard a noise coming from the other room. It was getting louder and then they all recognized the sound at the same time. It was the opening riff from the song "A Pirate's Life for Me", from the _Pirates of the Caribbean_ , which just happened to be Lee's ring tone.

They shot to their feet and bolted out of the kitchen into the living room and came to a screeching halt. There before them, in all their scruffy glory, was Seaview's Captain, Mate, and Crew. "Morning, sir, we're back," Lee said nonchalantly, unable to come up with anything more appropriate to say.

It was rare to see the admiral rendered speechless, but he, along with Jamie, and Sharkey stood there mouths open staring in total disbelief at their missing men. After what seemed an eternity Harri finally found his voice. "Where the hell did you come from?! Where have you been?! Do you know how worried we've been?! Why didn't you call?!"

Harri sounded just like an irate parent who had been worried sick over his curfew-busting teenage sons. Jamieson and Sharkey were standing right behind him, hands on their hips, with that parental _'you've got some serious explaining to do, young man'_ angry scowl on their faces. Lee tried as best he could but just couldn't stifle the giggle that leaked out. He smiled broadly as everyone stared at him wondering if he was having a breakdown or something. Laughing at Harriman Nelson, especially when he was about to ream you out, was something just not done.

"Sorry Dad, we got a little sidetracked, but we did try to call, honest," Lee responded apologetically as he averted his eyes then looked balefully up at Harri through his long black lashes.

Lee's response caught them all off guard. As it registered, Harri struggled to keep his glare and anger focused on the scurvy crew before him but found his relief and the absurdity of Lee's response too powerful to be overcome, and a relieved chortle blustered forth. Taking in the squinted eyes, the heavy eau d' alcohol wafting his direction, the obvious lack of sleep, and the beer keg monument outside the garage door, Harri schooled his features and inquired sweetly, "Rough night, boys?"

"If you only knew, sir," Lee replied, laughing as well. A giant sigh of relief was issued from each of the errant men and they quickly all shared the laugh. "If you will give us 30 minutes to shower, shave and become more human, we'd be more than happy to tell you what happened when we answered a call from the wild."

Somewhere in a galaxy far, far away, a roar of laughter erupted.

 **The End.**

Thank you all for reading my story and again a special thanks to those who took the time to let me know what you thought. I also thank you for letting me vent my rather twisted sense of humor and allow our stalwart crew to come out and play. Thanks again Janet for the challenge. CK

* All Things in Their Own Time

** Procrastination's Price


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